#43: Lisa Fain (CEO of Center for Mentoring Excellence) — What Leaders Need to Know about Diversity + Inclusion

July 23, 2020 by Cal Walters in Leadership, Intentional Living

Lisa Fain is the CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence and an expert in the intersection of cultural competency and mentoring. Her passion for diversity and inclusion work fuels her strong conviction that leveraging differences creates a better workplace and drives better business results.

Lisa Fain is the CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence and an expert in the intersection of cultural competency and mentoring. Her passion for diversity and inclusion work fuels her strong conviction that leveraging differences creates a better workplace and drives better business results.

Lisa brings her energy, enthusiasm, and engagement to any group, facilitating lively workshops and training, and delivering interactive speeches with practical steps that can be implemented right away.

As Senior Director of the Diversity and Inclusion function at Outerwall, Inc., Lisa spearheaded the development, establishment, and implementation of its diversity initiative. Prior to assuming that position, she worked as Outerwall’s in-house counsel, coaching leaders and partnering with Human Resources to establish fair and effective policies and practices that would sustain the organization as it grew in size, revenue, and renown.

For almost a decade, Lisa practiced law in the Chicago office of a major multinational firm, where she counseled employers on creating inclusive policies and practices. While in that role, she served as Master Trainer, training thousands of employees at a variety of companies, large and small, on how to create a better workplace.

Lisa is also an executive coach, specializing in individual and group coaching for professional women looking to design and live their best personal and professional lives. She is a certified mediator. She graduated with a B.S. in Social Policy from Northwestern University and holds a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.

Lisa lives in Seattle, WA. She loves to hike and explore the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters.

On today’s episode, we discuss what Lisa means by diversity and inclusion; we get real practical on steps leaders can take to improve the inclusiveness of their teams and organizations; and we explore what Lisa thinks mentorship is all about and how to find a good mentor and be a good mentee.

One note: we recorded this interview before the tragic death of George Floyd, so that is not discussed. But I think the principles of diversity and inclusion that we talk about are timeless.

Check out Lisa’s new book, Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring, co-authored with her mom, Lois J. Zachary.

Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring

By Fain, Lisa, Lois Zachary

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#42: The Legacy of a True Hero — 1LT Chris Goeke (KIA 13 July 2010)

July 12, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

Today, on July 13, 2020, we pay tribute to Chris Goeke. Chris was a husband, brother, son, dear friend, and leader among leaders. On this episode, we remember a man that made us laugh, feel special, believe in ourselves, grow in our faith, be okay with not knowing, and live more intentionally.

Even from a young age, Chris was adventurous and born to be a leader. He grew up in Apple Valley, Minnesota where he loved building forts in the woods behind his house and often gathered and encouraged his friends. He excelled in school through all his years and was active in music, mock trial, and various sports.

As he grew older, his faith in God grew and he participated in many church activities and mission trips. He was accepted into West Point with the class of 2008, where he graduated 6th in his class. After college, Chris was commissioned as an infantry officer and completed Army Airborne School and Ranger School.

Chris married the love of his life, Kelsey, and they settled into life together at Fort Bragg, NC, where Chris joined C Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment on May 18, 2009.

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In September 2009, Chris deployed with his unit to Afghanistan and would lead a platoon in combat. On Tuesday, July 13, 2010, Chris was killed in action while repelling an insurgent attack on an Afghan police compound in Kandahar City. 10 years after his death, we come together to remember Chris and honor his lasting impact on our lives.

Chris, we love you and miss you. You truly were the best among us, and we carry you with us wherever we go.

“Chris Goeke was one of the finest officers I have had the honor of leading in 20 years of service. His bravery in combat, commitment to his paratroopers, out-of-the-box problem solving and love for his wife and his profession were unparalleled. Chris was respected by his men as a leader and a person. Chris left a legacy with the battalion and on the lives of the men he led. Chris died a hero.”

— Lieutenant Colonel David Oclander, Battlalion Commander of 1-508 PIR

Chris’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachute Badge and Ranger Tab.

Please consider supporting the Warrior 196 Foundation. It is a 501(c)3 with a mission to honor and remember Chris and four other men from Independent School District 196 who paid the ultimate sacrifice by providing scholarships to young leaders and support to the community.

A special thank you to Jeni Huff, Erin Jorich LaVoie, Scott Wigen, Rick Ferrera, Mary Alice Noel, Kimberly Jung, Kevin Kniery, Quinn McArthur, John Bockstanz, Rajiv Srinivasan, James Booth, and Lance Dietz for participating in this tribute. It was so wonderful to hear how so many people were impacted in such profound ways by Chris, and this group only represents a small portion of those impacted by Chris.

Thank you to Randy Goeke and Kelsey Goeke for providing so many wonderful pictures of Chris for us to reflect on his life.

Finally, a HUGE thank you to Julie Blim, Dean Zawacki, Jamie Flora, Shawn Brady, and Chris Woodland for editing, mixing, and producing this tribute. Your kindness and generosity to make this project come together were amazing! Thank you!

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#41: Brigadier General Joe Berger — On Empathy, People First Leadership, and Being a Beginner

June 17, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

Brigadier General Joseph B. Berger III graduated from the U.S Military Academy at West Point in 1992 and was commissioned into the Military Police Corps, where he served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, and Battalion Supply Officer and Adjutant.

The views expressed on this podcast and page are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or endorsement of the US Army, DoD, or the US Government.

Brigadier General Joseph B. Berger III graduated from the U.S Military Academy at West Point in 1992 and was commissioned into the Military Police Corps, where he served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, and Battalion Supply Officer and Adjutant. Brigadier General Berger was subsequently selected for the Funded Legal Education Program and received his juris doctor from the George Mason University School of Law.

Brigadier General Berger currently serves as the Commanding General of the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, located on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. His previous assignments include: Commander, United States Army Legal Services Agency and Chief Judge, U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals; Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Cyber Command; Chief, Investigations and Legislative Division, Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison, Washington, DC; Chief, Plans Branch of Personnel, Plans and Training Office, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Washington, DC; Staff Judge Advocate, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Deputy Team Chief and later Assistant Director, Multi-National Force-Iraq; Group Judge Advocate, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Chief, Criminal Law, United States Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, Fort Bliss, Texas; Chief, Legal Assistance, later Administrative and Operational Law Attorney, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Germany.

Brigadier General Berger’s operational deployments include OPERATIONS RESTORE HOPE (Mogadishu, Somalia) and JOINT GUARD (Kosovo), and multiple tours in support of both OPERATIONS ENDURING FREEDOM (Afghanistan) and IRAQI FREEDOM / NEW DAWN (Iraq).

Brigadier General Berger holds a Master of Laws in International Law (LL.M) from The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School (Distinguished Graduate) and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College (Distinguished Graduate). His military awards include the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Valorous Unit Award (Somalia) and the Presidential Unit Citation (Joint Task Force Neptune). He is authorized to wear the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist’s Badge, the German Parachutist’s Badge (Fallschirmspringerabzeichen), and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

Brigadier General Berger and his wife Brenna are the proud parents of two adult children. On this episode, we discuss the Army JAG Corps, the impact his wife and kids have had (and continue to have) on him, overcoming adversity, and much more!

During this episode, we discuss:

3:30 – Introduction to the Army JAG Corps

8:15 – What life was like growing up for Brigadier General Berger

10:45 – People that impacted him the most growing up

13:00 – What he’s learned the most from his children

14:30 – The power of humility and being open to learning

15:14: – How he is different now from how he was growing up

18:45 – How failure, mistakes, and adversity have shaped him the most

23:35 – He does an autopsy on his own success and provides us advice on how to succeed

29:51 – Somalia Deployment – The Battle of Mogadishu (portrayed in Black Hawk Down)

37: 53 – What he believes are some of the commonalities between those who sustain excellence over time

44:31 – His views on work/life balance

50:14 – His views on servant leadership, one of the four pillars of the Army JAG Corps

53:27 – Examples of servant leaders that he has seen

59:00 – His impressions on Admiral William McRaven

1:02:20 – Questions from Army Lawyers (judge advocates) in the field

1:23:00 – Lightning Round Questions

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

Brigadier General Berger recommended the following books during this interview:

The Road

By McCarthy, Cormac

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

By Larson, Erik

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#40: Spencer Kupferman (3 x CEO) — On His Father, Adversity, and Leading as an Introvert

June 15, 2020 by Cal Walters in Leadership, Intentional Living

Spencer Kupferman currently serves as CEO at Milwaukee-based PKWARE an Award-Winning Data Security software solutions company.   In addition, Spencer supports Thompson Street Capital Partners portfolio companies working closely with their tech-enabled software practice as an Executive Advisor.

Spencer Kupferman currently serves as CEO at Milwaukee-based PKWARE an Award-Winning Data Security software solutions company. In addition, Spencer supports Thompson Street Capital Partners portfolio companies working closely with their tech-enabled software practice as an Executive Advisor. Spencer most recently served as CEO of Cloud Daddy, recognized as a Top 10 Storage Startup ’19 by crn.com, the world's most secure and easy-to-use Amazon Web Services native data protection platform for backup, disaster recovery and infrastructure management.

Prior to Cloud Daddy, Spencer was President & CEO of Global Software, Inc., the global leader in corporate performance management (CPM) reporting solutions. Spencer spearheaded the revolution of the Spreadsheet Server platform as it took the market by storm. Spencer led the company through two successful nine-figure transactions to market leading private equity firms, Thompson Street Capital Partners and TA Associates. Spencer holds a BS in Kinesiology from the University of New Hampshire where he was a member of the men’s basketball team and an MBA-Technology Management from the University of Phoenix. Spencer, his wife and 3 children reside in Scarsdale, NY.

On this episode, we discuss Spencer’s incredible father Ron Kupferman, who was the founder of Global Software, Inc. It was neat to hear Spencer reflect on the impact his father has had on him. We talk about his most important leadership attribute, how failure and adversity have shaped him, this concept of hard work vs. talent, and much more.

Spencer recommended the following books during the interview:

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't

By Jim Collins

Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition (Collins Business Essentials)

By Moore, Geoffrey A

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#39: Greg McKeown (NYT Bestselling Author) — On Essentialism, Negotiation, and Legacy

May 28, 2020 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people and teams break through to the next level-and others don't. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown's New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people and teams break through to the next level-and others don't. The definitive treatment of ...

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people and teams break through to the next level—and others don’t.

The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown’s New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. As well as frequently being the #1 Time Management book on Amazon, this book challenges core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success.

McKeown is the CEO of McKeown Inc. His clients include Adobe, Apple, Google, Facebook, Pixar, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Twitter, VMware and Yahoo!. His writing has appeared or been covered by The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, Politico, and Inc. Magazine. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn’s Influencers group: averaging a million views a month.

McKeown has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows including NPR, NBC, FOX, and as a regular guest on The Steve Harvey Show. Entrepreneur voted his interview at Stanford University the #1 Must-See Video on Business, Creativity and Success.

As an accomplished public speaker, Greg has spoken to hundreds of audiences around the world including in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, England, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan and Singapore.

Highlights include speaking at SXSW, interviewing Al Gore at the Annual Conference of the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland and receiving a personal invitation from Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, to speak to his Annual Innovation Conference.

McKeown challenges conventional wisdom in a unique and engaging style from the first moment to the last instant. As the event organizer at Greater Public said after McKeown addressed their 1,000-person conference, “I have been part of this event for 16 years and McKeown is the best speaker we have ever had!”

McKeown is an active Social Innovator. Serving as a Board Member for Washington D.C. policy group Resolve and as a mentor with 2 Seeds, a non-profit incubator for agricultural projects in Africa. He has also been a speaker at non-profit groups including The Kauffman Fellows, Net Impact and Stanford University: he recently gave back to Stanford University by co-creating a popular class called, Designing Life, Essentially.

He serves as a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum. He recently moderated a session at the “Summer Davos” in China called, “Unpacking Social Innovation Models for Maximum Impact”, served as a panelist at the “Sharpening Your Creative Edge” working session at the Forum.

Prior to this, McKeown collaborated in the research and writing of Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter and worked for Heidrick & Struggles’ Global Leadership Practice assessing senior executives.

Originally from London, England, McKeown now lives in Calabasas, California with his wife, Anna, and their four children. He did his graduate work at Stanford University.

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Follow Greg’s important work at GregMcKeown.com or on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram

On this episode, we discuss:

some of my journey with Essentialism,
part of the genesis for Greg writing Essentialism,
why so many of us focus on non-essential things,
what he calls the “success paradox,”
the social pressure to do more,
how to say “no,”
how to negotiate and acknowledge trade offs,
Greg’s perspective on The Great Reset due to COVID-19,
what he would change about the book, and
his views on legacy

Episode Transcript

Greg’s new podcast Essentialism with Greg McKeown launches in June 2020. Check it out!

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